dross93ranger Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Below are pictures of my two 521's. The first one is Dottie, she is bagged and bodydropped with a fully rebuilt L20b motor. She is in need of a tranmission crossmember, steering gearbox, center link, and an l16 truck oil pan to get her on the road. The second 521 is my new project acquired on the 4th of July. This truck will be bagged (not bodydropped) and I want to swap a Buick V6 and 5 speed into it for daily driving. Which motor should I go with, 3.8/4.1? Also for anyone who has done this swap, does the motor fit alright or does the firewall need moved? And both of them at home: Also I am desperately looking for a cheap parts truck, I am willing to drive a couple states over if the price is right (I live in KY). The steering components are the most important part to me. If anyone knows of a truck or has one they are willing to sell for parts (no title necessary) please PM me or email me at dross93ranger@yahoo.com Quote Link to comment
Farmer Joe Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 eeeeehhh, im not sure if the buick is the best bet... i put a 4.1 into a 620 and had to get rid of the most of the firewall for the extra tall bellhousing pattern... another thing that doesnt help, is that most buick v6s had the cent sump oilpan... theyre a pain in the ass to get to fit in a datsun... thats one of the reasons the firewall was gone in the 620... to get the oil pan to clear the engine crossmember, i had to move the engine pretty far back... it hink i have pic of the engine placement her somewhere... brb.. Quote Link to comment
dross93ranger Posted July 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 hmmm....what would be my best bet then? I want a 5 speed and a reliable motor for daily driving this truck, without cutting up the firewall too much. Quote Link to comment
Farmer Joe Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 an L20b with a 5 speed would prolly be my best bet... simple, reliable, still available... you could maybe do a KA24 swap, or maybe just a z24 or somethin too.. i would keep it nissan.. for the most part alot of other enignes from the family will bolt in... Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 your trucks look good Quote Link to comment
dross93ranger Posted July 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 an L20b with a 5 speed would prolly be my best bet... simple, reliable, still available... you could maybe do a KA24 swap, or maybe just a z24 or somethin too.. i would keep it nissan.. for the most part alot of other enignes from the family will bolt in... I thought about that option, I would however be putting alot of highway miles on this truck so that had me concerned in the power department. Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 eeeeehhh, im not sure if the buick is the best bet... i put a 4.1 into a 620 and had to get rid of the most of the firewall for the extra tall bellhousing pattern... another thing that doesnt help, is that most buick v6s had the cent sump oilpan... theyre a pain in the ass to get to fit in a datsun... thats one of the reasons the firewall was gone in the 620... to get the oil pan to clear the engine crossmember, i had to move the engine pretty far back... it hink i have pic of the engine placement her somewhere... brb.. is this stock Quote Link to comment
Farmer Joe Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 I thought about that option, I would however be putting alot of highway miles on this truck so that had me concerned in the power department. youd be surprised how well a fresh l20 would do with the right gearing and a 5 speed. if you need more power and still want it reliable, then id look for a z24 if you dont mind em... wide14u has a z24 and matching 5 speed in his 620.. the block mounting points are the same for the L and Z series engines.. it should bolt in as long as you have the trans that matches the Z series engine... his truck even with a stock carb will break em loose in 3rd, and can do a buck on a freeway without even breakin a sweat... and then like i said you could always do a KA, but thats a project... Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 i would listen to farmer joe he is idaho's datsun mike we all ask him what we should do but he is on crack saying good thing about my truck Quote Link to comment
dross93ranger Posted July 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Thanks for the information, I will look into which motors I can find local, bolt in would be nice... Quote Link to comment
Farmer Joe Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 no problem man... hope your able to find something thatll work.. look for l20 z22 z24... maybe even a KA24 if your lucky... Quote Link to comment
BEEBANI Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 ka24e by far, fuel injected, good power, easy to work on, and are very torquey. The other nice thing about them is they are fairly compact and would fit in a bd'd truck very nicely. Another point is the fact that several people on this forum (including myself) have done the swap successfully and can help you with any questions you might have. If you can find a motor and trans for a good price, the other odds and ends you will have to buy for the swap won't hit you in the wallet as hard. Quote Link to comment
datsunaholic Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 I thought about that option, I would however be putting alot of highway miles on this truck so that had me concerned in the power department. I've put 45,000 miles on my L20B in the last 18 months... is that not reliable enough? It can break the speed limit on every road in the State... is that not powerful enough? The Buick V-6 trades most of the reliability and ALL the economy away for not a whole heck of a lot of gain in the power department. Torque, yes, HP, not so much. Quote Link to comment
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